SESSION OF 2021
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE ON HOUSE BILL NO. 2030
As Recommended by House Committee on
Corrections and Juvenile Justice

Brief*
HB 2030 would allow the Kansas Department of
Corrections (KDOC) to release an inmate with a terminal
medical condition likely to cause death within 120 days.
Current law allows the Prisoner Review Board (Board) to
approve the release of an inmate if a doctor determines the
inmate has a terminal medical condition likely to cause death
within 30 days and does not represent a future risk to public
safety. Release of an inmate is conditional and may be
revoked if the:
● Person’s illness or condition significantly improves;
● Person does not die within 30 days of release;
● Person fails to comply with any condition of
release; or
● Board otherwise concludes the person presents a
threat or risk to public safety.
The bill would retain those revocation conditions but
replace all references to “30 days” with “120 days.” It would
allow revocation of release if the person does not die within
120 days of release.


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*Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research
Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental
note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at
http://www.kslegislature.org
Background
HB 2030 was prefiled for introduction by the Joint
Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice Oversight on
December 31, 2020.
[Note: HB 2030 contains provisions similar to those of
2020 HB 2469 as amended by the House Committee on
Corrections and Juvenile Justice.]

House Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice
In the House Committee hearing on January 26, 2021,
Representative Highberger and representatives of the
American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, KDOC, and the
Kansas Sentencing Commission testified as proponents of
the bill.
Written-only opponent testimony was provided by a
representative of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and a
private individual. No other testimony was provided.

Fiscal Information
According to the fiscal note prepared by the Division of
the Budget on the bill, KDOC indicates approximately 10
people per year could be eligible for consideration for terminal
medical release if the period is extended to 120 days. KDOC
received approximately 1 application per year under the 30-
day-period requirement from fiscal year (FY) 2016 to FY
2020. KDOC indicates it could absorb any increases in
workload within existing resources.
Any fiscal effect associated with the enactment of the bill
is not reflected in The FY 2022 Governor’s Budget Report.
Terminal medical condition; release; death


2- 2030


Statutes affected:
As introduced: 22-3729